Rating: 
Triumph Dog Food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of three stars.
The Triumph product line consists of two dry dog foods… each designed to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles for all life stages.
- Triumph Lamb Meal and Rice Dog Food
- Triumph Chicken Meal and Rice Dog Food
Triumph Chicken Meal and Rice was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Triumph Chicken Meal and Rice
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Chicken meal, rice flour, ground rice, rice bran, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), oatmeal, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), natural flavors, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, potassium chloride, salt, dried egg product, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, vitamins: choline chloride, vitamim A supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate (source of B-1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B-6) riboflavin supplement, folic acid, niacin, biotin, vitamin B-12 supplement, minerals: zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.3%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
| Estimated Nutrient Content | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Guaranteed Analysis | 21% | 12% | NA |
| Dry Matter Basis | 23% | 13% | 55% |
| Calorie Weighted Basis | 21% | 29% | 50% |
The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The second ingredient is rice flour. Rice flour is made from either white or brown rice and is considered a good gluten-free substitute for wheat flour.
The third ingredient is ground rice. In a good grade (an unknown factor here), rice can be a quality hypoallergenic ingredient.
This particular form is bran-free… making it lower in fiber and other beneficial nutrients… but much easier to digest.
The fourth ingredient is rice bran… a healthy by-product of rice milling. Though not as nutritionally complete as whole grain rice, brans are still unusually rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.
The last three items are all rice ingredients… rice flour, ground rice and rice bran. Though they’re a mixture of different quality cereal grains, there’s a bigger issue to consider here…
The questionable practice of ingredient splitting.
You see, if you were to total all three items, the combined rice would almost certainly occupy a higher position on the list… likely nudging out the chicken meal as the first (and predominant) ingredient in this dog food.
The fifth ingredient is poultry fat. Poultry fat is obtained from rendering… a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.
Poultry fat is high in linoleic acid… an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. However, we consider poultry fat lower in quality than a single-species item (like chicken fat).
The sixth ingredient is oatmeal… a whole-grain product made from coarsely ground oats. Oatmeal is naturally rich in B-vitamins, fiber and is also (unlike many other grains) gluten-free.
The seventh ingredient is canola oil. Most applaud canola for its favorable omega-3 content… while a vocal minority condemn it as an unhealthy fat.
Current thinking (ours included) finds the negative stories about canola oil more the stuff of urban legend than actual science.1
After the natural flavors, we find beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.
Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.
We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.
The tenth ingredient is flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided they’ve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.
From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.
But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we note the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.
And finally, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Triumph Dog Food… the Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Triumph Dog Food appears to be a better kibble.
But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.
The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 23%, a fat level of 13% and estimated carbohydrates of about 55%.
As a pair, the two products feature an average protein content of 23% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 54% for the overall product line.
Low protein. Average fat. And above-average carbohydrates… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
With no sign of any plant-based protein boosters, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.
Bottom line?
Triumph Dog Food is a rice-based kibble using a modest amount of chicken or lamb meal as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand three stars.
Recommended.
A Final Word
This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific health benefit for your pet.
For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”
Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.
Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.
Notes and Updates
10/12/2010 Original review
10/12/2010 Last Update
- Mikkelson, B and DP, Oil of Ole, Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005) ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.